Abstract: Disclosed is a disk drive for storing data which includes disks and an actuator mounted on a frame or first housing part. A second housing part, when joined with the first housing part, forms a disk enclosure. The disk enclosure includes rails which have openings therein for mounting the disk drive to the user frame of a computer system. Deformable inserts are placed into the openings in the rails and screws are passed through openings in the frame of the computer system and into the inserts in the openings in the rails of the disk drive. The inserts are more forgiving and result in less distortion than in a mounting system in which the screws are passed directly into tapped holes in the rails of the disk drive. The inserts also electrically insulate the disk drive from the user frame of the computer system.

Abstract: A disk pack assembly for use in a disk drive has disks which are alternately diametrically offset about a spindle axis of rotation. The disks are positioned as a function of their outer edges such that alternate opposite outer edges line up as though they were the outer edges of centered nominal diameter disks. This results in an increase in the number of axial nodal points for potential imbalance moments and reduces the amplitude of associated vibrations. Disk spacers are also alternately diametrically offset about the spindle axis so tht pairs of like components tend to balance each other to minimize potential vibrations.

Abstract: A disk file data disk stack assembly is clamped using a preloaded heat shrink ring that has an interference fit with the assembly hub. In addition to an inner diameter slightly smaller than the cooperating hub surface, the shrink ring has a full or extended outer cylindrical surface and a reduced area inner cylindrical surface and a reduced area axial end surface to permit effective heat transfer to the ring with minimal conductive heat transfer to the hub and clamping element to enable a differential temperature for effecting shrink ring removal when required.

Abstract: An optical tool is disclosed which permits a sequence of aligned transducer gaps to be positioned parallel to the axis of a disk file. The tool is surfaced with transparent material, has a thickness the same as the disk or disks of a disk stack being simulated and presents an etched alignment grid at the interface surface between transducer and tool. The virtually common plane of the transducer gap and etched grid substantially eliminates parallax and the unfilled etched grid permits the gap to be seen, whether aligned with the transparent unetched surface or the translucent etched surface portion. The use of inclined mirrored surfaces underlying the grid permits alignment to be effected using a bright field microscope and observing from a direction rotated 90 degrees from a line perpendicular to the grid to enable alignment of transducer gaps confronting one another at opposite sides of the disk.